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Firefighters Union Backs Ordinance To Allow Renters To Stay Put During Foreclosures

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The union that represents Chicago firefighters is getting behind a proposal that would prevent banks from kicking out renters during foreclosure proceedings.

Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2 president Tom Ryan says if the Keep Chicago Renting ordinance is approved by the City Council, it would mean fewer abandoned buildings, which he says are dangerous for firefighters and paramedics.

Fire Union Backs 'Keep Chicago Renting' Ordinance

"There's often a lot of destruction that goes on both in and outside and around these buildings which makes our job even more dangerous," Ryan says. "Looking at this ordinance from a safety standpoint is really a no-brainer".

Ryan says there's an unpredictability about abandoned buildings, because firefighters and paramedics don't know what they're going to find when they get there.

Diane Limas of the Albany Park Neighborhood Council says, "Similar ordinances have been passed in Los Angeles and Boston and still banks are making record profits."

The proposed Keep Chicago Renting ordinance is scheduled for a vote in the City Council next week.

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